Thursday, October 1, 2026
The City of Tumwater is considering the use of eminent domain to acquire properties that would be affected by construction of a roundabout at Capitol Boulevard and X Street.
The Tumwater Public Works Committee reviewed an ordinance on Thursday, Nov. 20, authorizing property acquisition through the condemnation process if negotiations are unsuccessful. The committee agreed to place the ordinance on the city council’s agenda on Dec. 2 with a recommendation to adopt it.
The roundabout is part of the Capitol Boulevard Corridor Plan, launched in 2013, which seeks to address safety, congestion and multimodal improvements in addition to revitalizing the area. The roundabout is currently in the right-of-way acquisition phase with a target to start construction in summer 2026.
The roundabout is expected to cost a total of $6.8 million, including $2.8 million for right-of-way acquisitions. Through the Thurston Regional Planning Council, the city has secured five federal funding grants totaling $5.4 million
Tumwater Transportation and Engineering Director Brandon Hicks said staff hope to proceed with standard negotiations, but the city’s grant funding requires willingness to exercise eminent domain if negotiations are unsuccessful.
“It is one of those things where if you're not willing to do it, then don't apply for the grant, and it's always that way with federal funding,” Hicks said.
Only a few properties would be heavily impacted by the roundabout. A heating and cooling company building on the corner would have to be demolished to make way for the roundabout. The site would also serve as a stormwater pond, having the lowest elevation in the area.
Hicks said city staff met with the property owner in 2021, and the owner appeared amenable to the project at that time. Hicks said the owner was interested in relocation benefits.
Another property, a roofing business on another corner, would have to be reoriented while its front parking lot would have to be removed. Hicks said he has spoken with the property owner, who appears to be enthusiastic about the changes.
Changes to other properties would be “minimal in scope” and only require the reconstruction of street frontages.
Hicks said two independent firms have appraised the affected properties, and the city is now putting together offers.
He noted normally, staff would spend a reasonable amount of time acquiring property without invoking eminent domain.
However, due to funding constraints and safety concerns, he said the timeline is being accelerated by simultaneously presenting offers and preparing the eminent domain process.
“The one property being a full take — it could be difficult. It's hard to know for sure, but hopefully we can obtain them all just through standard negotiations,” Hicks said.
14 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
turtleman
I have to wonder, why X? It doesn't really go anywhere in either direction. It seems Dennis would be a better intersection for spending multiple millions and would eliminate a light controlled intersection. Of course, the Dairy Queen might cost a lot more money to buy out.
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 Report this
Overtaxed
It seems to me that the X street and capitol boulevard Intersection doesn`t need a Roundabout , A waste of Tax Dollars ?
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
SecondOtter
WHo in the world is making tons of money putting in roundabouts? X doesn't need a roundabout, there's no through street. This is nuts. Tumwater, STOP with the incessant roundabout building. Soon there won't be anything BUT roundabouts, one after another, like beads on a chain.
This is definitely Pork Barrel Economics.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
Southsoundguy
Grant money comes in, some "study" concludes that there MUST be a roundabout, more grant money, rinse and repeat. This is idiotic. Tumwater needs to wipe the slate clean.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
mathisje
Concur. What studies or future plans indicated that X street intersection needs a roundabout? Safety is a specious argument. In general, roundabouts speed emergency vehicles at traffic choke points, but X street!? Israel and Tumwater Blvd are the choke points. If City could do Trosper and Capitol, why not one of those? Seems a lot of effort and money to add pedestrian and bike access to a street that goes nowhere. Likely it is a "we can get free money so let's spend it" project. If there are better reasons, I'd like to know them.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
Southsoundguy
They don't even make things more pedestrian friendly. It just expands the concrete profile and creates a bigger wasteland, just with more obstacles. Anyone interested who is interested in better, healthier, human-focused development should research Christopher Alexander's pattern language. If an Alexandrian analysis was performed on Tumwater, it would reveal a deeply unhealthy pattern of development in need of major repair. It would take a couple generations, but it could be done.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
DavidSwanson
I have had nothing but great experiences with roundabouts I'm looking forward to this !
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
CobraCommander
Look at all the people mad about a traffic circle!
If you don't like it, consider voting, running for office, or moving away.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
Southsoundguy
Look who chimes in to support more waste, fraud, and abuse. Never met someone else's dollar you didn't want to steal.
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
Wesley
Can anyone explain the Thurston County fetish for round-a-bouts?
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Report this
StopBuilding
This is absolutely bonkers. I don't mind traffic circles, but this intersection doesn't need one! And they are willing to seize private property to do it? It is really dissapointing how poorly the City of Tumwater manages tax payer dollars and their willingness to bulldoze the city instead of keeping it the small town it is.
Thursday, November 27, 2025 Report this
CobraCommander
Southsoundguy shouldn't complain about waste when we have the tariff guy who paints his face orange every day and who just added $1 TRILLION to the deficit
'Party of Fiscal Responsibility' LOL people can't afford groceries guy
Thursday, November 27, 2025 Report this
KinesthesiaAmnesia
I used to live and work next to the intersection of X street & Capitol. I would like to add to the pile of “but why X Street” questions! Beyond Capitol, X Street is lined with older single family houses and goes nowhere on both ends. Maybe there’s big plans for it we don’t know about yet? Like that new roundabout behind Walmart & Home Depot has a sign on the freeway side that says a future street is going there… Would that future street eventually go over i5 and connect with X?
But I can see the value of having the roundabout there with how things are now. Hopefully it helps add safety for pedestrians crossing Capitol (many cars speed up at, or ignore, the nearby crossing beacons), throttles traffic that treats that 35 mph stretch like a racetrack, and helps the flow of fire trucks that are stationed on Israel but pretty much use that stretch of Capitol to get where they need to go.
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 Report this
BillSpencer
Why are they building this here? It would make much more sense to build a roundabout at Lee, Dennis, or Israel. Overall I support roundabouts. They reduce the most serious types of crashes, protect pedestrians, and most importantly no more sitting around at red lights. I just have questions about why they are prioritizing X street?
Sunday, December 21, 2025 Report this